Two children, Ignacio and Enrique, know love, the movies and fear in a religious school at the beginning of the 60's. Father Manolo, director of the school and its professor of literature, is witness to and part of these discoveries.… MoreTwo children, Ignacio and Enrique, know love, the movies and fear in a religious school at the beginning of the 60's. Father Manolo, director of the school and its professor of literature, is witness to and part of these discoveries. The three are followed through the next few decades, their reunion marking life and death.

For me, Bad Education represents the shift in style for Almodovar from camp comedy to edgy, often disturbing thriller. There is still plenty of the Almodovar… MoreFor me, Bad Education represents the shift in style for Almodovar from camp comedy to edgy, often disturbing thriller. There is still plenty of the Almodovar you'd expect but there is something sinister and captivating that hasn't always been present in his previous films. It's certainly been visible since in Volver, Broken Embraces and the disturbing but brilliant The Skin I live In.

Randy Tippy

Murder, mayhem, transvestites and child molesting priests.
I wonder where Pedro Almodóvar gets such wild ideas for his stories? Are they autobiographical?… MoreMurder, mayhem, transvestites and child molesting priests.
I wonder where Pedro Almodóvar gets such wild ideas for his stories? Are they autobiographical? Are they plucked from Spanish tabloids? They seem to be coherent presentations of utter chaos. The man is twisted (but brilliant!).

Lady D'arbanville

A bizarre tale, which was a little confusing at times, but of course all makes sense eventually. It possibly requires more than one viewing though to really… MoreA bizarre tale, which was a little confusing at times, but of course all makes sense eventually. It possibly requires more than one viewing though to really put the pieces of the puzzle together correctly.
Very typical in the sense of Almodovar though, to bring us an unusual topic, which many Directors wouldn't have delved into.

Fernando Rafael Quintero Castañeda

another great film from PEDRO ALMODOVAR, one of the best directors in the business. LA MALA EDUCACION stars mexican actor GAEL GARCIA BERNAL, mexican-spanish… Moreanother great film from PEDRO ALMODOVAR, one of the best directors in the business. LA MALA EDUCACION stars mexican actor GAEL GARCIA BERNAL, mexican-spanish actor Daniel Gimenez-Cacho, Fele Martinez and Javier Camara. It tells the story about two boys (ignacio and enrique) that meet at school and fall in love, the principal of this school, father manolo, knows about this and he also wants Ignacio. Enrique and Ignacio reunite several years later, when ignacio wants enrique to direct a film he wrote and wants to star in as Zahara, a drag queen.....gael garcia is really convincing in drag, and he gives one hell of a performance, plus he can do a really good spanish accent, great performance by daniel gimenez cacho, great writing, look, etc.

Jim Hunter

A drag queen convinces a film director to shoot a film about his childhood molestation by a priest.
As I'm exploring Almodovar's oeuvre, I'm… MoreA drag queen convinces a film director to shoot a film about his childhood molestation by a priest.
As I'm exploring Almodovar's oeuvre, I'm seeing similar subjects. There is almost always an element of abnormal sexuality, and the several scenes of homosexual sex check that box. Drag queens? Also check. But these are surface elements. The reason I think I'm not diving into Almodovar is that many of his films try to do so much at once. <i>Bad Education</i> is a love story, a noir, a political statement against the clergy's sexual misconduct, and a melodrama, and I think all the "styles" and subject matters collide. What results is such a hodgepodge that I think people are able to attach themselves to elements of the film while ignoring the whole.
Overall, <i>Bad Education</I> is for Almodovar fans, and that's about it.

Lanning : )

So, Ssabee, I notice nothing in your comments that answers the most important question in the movie: beard or no beard? As Gael Garcia's number-one… MoreSo, Ssabee, I notice nothing in your comments that answers the most important question in the movie: beard or no beard? As Gael Garcia's number-one fan club president, I figured this would be the first thing you'd comment on : ) <p>There is no doubt in my mind that Gael Garcia is a good-looking young man, but after seeing this Almodóvar outing -- no pun intended -- I can definitely affirm that Gael Garcia is also absolutely one of the most frighteningly beautiful young women Almodovar has delivered to the screen. <p> Hey, if you're young and have all the time in the world to wade through this narrative morass, more power to you. Me, I'm way too old to care that much about something this ugly. I don't know if Almodovar's treatment of homosexuals is worse than his treatment of transvestites in this project, but I really don't care. It's beyond grotesque. <p> Miss this one if you don't have all the time in the world left to watch movies.

Elvira B

La Mala Educacion is a fascinating, dark crime film by Pedro Almodovar, in which he once again confirms that he is the master of style, pure and simple.… MoreLa Mala Educacion is a fascinating, dark crime film by Pedro Almodovar, in which he once again confirms that he is the master of style, pure and simple. Everything in La Mala Educacion is stylized, even though everything and everyone is rather seedy and obscure. Almodovar makes excellent use of bright colors that pop from the screen, a Hitchcockian score, and excellent cinematography to lead his audience into this mysterious, bizarre world created by the characters.
Ignacio and Enrique meet in a religious boarding school in the 1960s. One of the heads of the school, Father Manolo, "falls in love" with Ignacio and is also very much aware of the two boys' love for each other. He does his best to keep them apart. Enrique is taken out of school, and the two continue to lead separate lives until, twenty years later, Ignacio seeks out his old friend, who now owns a film studio, to show him a script he's been working on. It's the story of their lives, and the revenge they ultimately inflict on Father Manolo. Enrique is somewhat excited to have found again the first love of his life, but for some reason he isnt' very convinced. Something has changed; Ignacio seems very different.
Among the many layers there is to Bad Education and the various dimensions of the story, there is an interesting dynamic between the two leads. Once they re-unite after all the years of separation, the natural thing to them appears to be starting from where they left off. So they spend time together, and even sleep together, but neither of them is very convinced. Almodovar has described them as a romantic union without attraction, two people who have sex but are not attracted to each other. They relate to the ghosts of what they once were, or what they think the other was.
I loved the storyline because Almodovar incorporated the movie-in-a-movie sub-plot and it works very well. I wonder if it says something of his own opinion about filmmaking. It's impossible to get lost in the story because he augments the width of the image to mark when we are watching the movie and when we are watching what is really happening; it is obvious that his objective isn't "to blur the line between fiction and reality"... don't think you're getting Inland Empire-style or anything. Other than that, the plot is very noir, it's very classic but with certain Almodovar touches to make it even darker. The style is heavy but it doesn't choke the substance.
Gael Garcia Bernal is great as Ignacio/Juan/Zahara. He plays eccentric characters, or characters with secrets, and he does it with great talent and credibility. For such a small person, he has immense screen presence and magnetism. His appearance and his attitude justify Enrique's incomprehensible desire to resume their relationship in spite of his doubt. But Fele Martinez plays a much more "ordinary" character and manages to make him much more extraordinary. I've always thought him a very versatile actor, but terribly underrated. Both actors deliver incredible performances, and they're the highlights of the film.
The ending was rather abrupt for me, I think it needed a clearer closure, but the rest of the movie is a fantastic noir film in bright colors, definitely worth a watch, or several.

Sarah Gaish

In the early 60s, two boys - Ignacio and Enrique - discover love, movies and fear in a Christian school. Father Manolo, the school principal and Literature… MoreIn the early 60s, two boys - Ignacio and Enrique - discover love, movies and fear in a Christian school. Father Manolo, the school principal and Literature teacher, both witnesses and takes part in these discoveries. The three characters come against one another twice again, in the late 70s and in 1980. These meetings are set to change the life and death of some of them.
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This is the third Almodovar film that I've watched and now I think I need to see more of his films. There's just something spectacular about his films with the magnificant colour and direction. I will see more soon.
Anyway Bad Education, perhaps not as good as <i>Talk To Her</i>, which I thought was a masterpiece and the best film that I've seen og his so far. Cinematography is excellent, the music as well (with many recalls to the Sixties songs). Actors are also very good. For Gael Garcia Bernal (we saw him recently in "Motorcycle diaries") this is another solid effort. He portrays Ignacio, he enters the Almodòvar world with all the ambiguity required. For sure I'll be checking out more of Bernal's films.
Of course the film delves into the complex issue of the Roman Catholic Church and incidences of sexual abuse within them. This was delt with well and didn't totally shock me as the camera as tilted at such points.
Some great opening credits as well, which introduces you to the film. Very colourful and fitted the mood within the film very well.
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The story falters slightly in the closing stages . That's the only thing stopping it from usurping<i>Talk To Her</i>. The ending just didn't seem that shocking, which is why I've given it 4 stars.
Overall a recomended film. Perhaps not a good as Talk to Her but still worth the watch.
7/10

Conner Rainwater

An amazing mystery/revenge story. I was totally blown away with the complex nature of the film. Almodovar's style really shines in this, due to the fact… MoreAn amazing mystery/revenge story. I was totally blown away with the complex nature of the film. Almodovar's style really shines in this, due to the fact that he strayed from his usual upbeat tone and really went with something dark. Gael Garcia Bernal was great and made the movie all the more enjoyable, convincing me that his character was much less horrible than he should've been. I really appreciate the bold choices used, if only more filmmakers were this brave. The director's cut is definitely a step up in terms of what shocking content was meant to be seen, it made me fall in love with it even more.

Sophie Burgess

I really loved the story to this movie. It was well thought out and interesting. As well as being very funny it was also very sad and weird. Great performance… MoreI really loved the story to this movie. It was well thought out and interesting. As well as being very funny it was also very sad and weird. Great performance from Gael Garcia Bernal.

Drew Smith

Fucking excellent movie - totally unconventional on all terms, and yet still impeccably done for it. Definitely the strongest of the three Almodovars I've… MoreFucking excellent movie - totally unconventional on all terms, and yet still impeccably done for it. Definitely the strongest of the three Almodovars I've seen thus far, though all of them have been great.
More later.

Megan S

Pretty good movie. Lots of things going on, there's a writer and a director and there are stories and a movie and the past and the present and fact and… MorePretty good movie. Lots of things going on, there's a writer and a director and there are stories and a movie and the past and the present and fact and fiction and people pretending to be other people all going on all throughout the movie until you finally find out what really happened in the end. The ending was a bit anti-climactic though.